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Fast Facts About WannaCry

WannaCry (AKA WannaCrypt) is ransomware that began to surface last week. It targets unpatched Microsoft Windows systems, and last week’s cyber-attack has infected computers in more than 150 countries so far.

Reports say that the ransomware is demanding $300-$600 in Bitcoin. Paying the ransom is no guarantee that your files will be unlocked.

The exploit used by the cyber-attack was actually developed by the NSA and leaked in April. It looks for systems that have not installed the patch that fixes Microsoft Security Bulletin MS17-010, which was released in March. In light of the attack, Microsoft has also released the patch for older operating systems that it no longer officially supports.